Rare Vintage 1950s Homelite Generator - Will It Run and Make Power Again?
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- A local subscriber (Stanley) found this Vintage 1950s Homelite generator at the dump. It looks to be complete and despite its age in pretty good condition. It is powered by a Homelite made 2-stroke model 24A engine developed during World War II. Someone took very good care of this machine. I have worked on many generators, but nothing like this. I am not able to find a service manual or owners manual. Parts are also not available. Will it run and make power again?
Generator Model: Homelite 24A115
1950s Homelite advertisement that includes this model: drive.google.c...
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@Mustie1 Homelite Video 1 • antique small engines ... Video 2: • 1945 homelite 2 stroke... Video 3: • antique 2 stroke engin...
@SmallEngineMechanic Homelite Video 1 • Homelite 2 Cycle Gener... Video 2 • Homelite 2 Cycle Gener...
If you want to donate to the channel, you can use the UA-cam "Super Thanks" feature or via PayPal: www.paypal.com...
30 Weight Non-detergent: amzn.to/47mzZ4N
Amprobe ACDC-52NAV THD Meter: amzn.to/441cH1I
Brass Tube: amzn.to/45i7xiMk
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Oscilloscope: amzn.to/3DPQXLt
Paint Stripper: amzn.to/3qq2sGh
Primer Pump A-29210: www.ebay.com/i...
Spark Tester: amzn.to/45iov0r
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1950s, 2 Cycle, 2-Stroke, Alternator, Brushes, Carb Clean, Carburetor Rebuild, Compression Test, DEPSTECH , Evapo-Rust, Fixed, Fuel Pump, Fuel System, Generator, Hertz, Homelite, How To, How-To, Hubble Twist Lock, Insulation Test, L14-30, Load Test, Mineral Spirits, Old Fuel, Paint Stripper, Primer, Repair, Resistance Test, Small Engine, Spark Test, THD, The Ultimate Paint and Varnish, Remover, Total Harmonic Distortion, Troubleshooting, Two Stroke, Ultrasonic Cleaner, Varnish, Vintage Homelite Generator, Vintage, - Навчання та стиль
Here are some other Vintage Homelite Generator video links that you might like:
@Mustie1 Homelite Video 1 ua-cam.com/video/59fZQ1ezP7Q/v-deo.html Video 2: ua-cam.com/video/YC0fiDeQ6b0/v-deo.html Video 3: ua-cam.com/video/b28RvyiDbuE/v-deo.html
@SmallEngineMechanic Homelite Video 1 ua-cam.com/video/ptsPUUegvTQ/v-deo.html Video 2 ua-cam.com/video/HyD7ue4XlEI/v-deo.html
Mustie1 is the man!
not sure if u knew or know.. but lil hint on soldering.... heat the object up. then remove flame and touch with solder. dont heat the solder as it turn into a cold solder joint. you had flame on solder and tube same time. no no no.. just tossin it out there.
The Eastern Bloc of Germany as in the East German Army was very big on 2 stroke engines
powering their generators, brands like Sachs back in the 40's and 50's. But now I wonder
whether the U.S. Army may have had any contracts with Homelite back in those times. I
do know that the U.S. Army perhaps may have made purchases of Homelite chainsaws
from time to time on some local purchases, back when I served. Perhaps there may have
been some military applications with the use of small generator types for non-critical use
cases but I surely don't know for sure! That may further help finding a manual for that little
heavy bugger!
The Fuel Filler Cap is supposed to be utilized to measure the amount of oil to be mixed
with the gas and the ratio mix is really oddball compared to today's standard so James,
you will need to confirm the proper ratio mix in order to protect the engine! It may be about
16:1 or 10:1 using just a standard 30 weight old non-detergent oil but HELL, I do not know
nor can I tell you for sure!!!! I just don't know, so WARNING!!!
I've been watching Mustie for many years. As YukonHawk1 said, He's the man! Thanks for the reference to him.
Also, for the record, I love the long video. Don't listen to those people telling you to break up your videos.
They can temporarily speed up the video by holding the top of your cell phone screen.
Your commitments paid off you got that old machine running a lot better good job
Nice work. Let me add: It takes quite a bit of arcing to form that carbon film on slip rings (or commutator segments) NEVER sand it off. Carbon from brushes is a heat resistant lubricant that impregnates the copper rings. If the carbon isn't there, the brushes will arc more to restore it. That also wears the brushes sooner.
The only time we dress rings or segments is when they cup, taper, or become egg-shaped. Those faults come from brushes that are too short or if the brush hangs up in the holder (which is why spring pressure pushes them down). - Dave
Always learn something new, even at 67. Thanks, Dave.
You're welcome. I'm an Industrial Electrician from Ford Motor (Dearborn) where we make steel. The motors are 250VDC and we re-brush every Monday. We replace nearly half the brushes but no more on any motor. 'Bedding in' is crucial for brushes and commutator longevity. We do hundreds of brushes every week with teams of electricians. These motors cannot be down for long.
@@simplyconnected Why DC brushed Motors instead of Brushless AC/DC? Is it simply a matter of replacement costing too much or are the brushed motors more efficient or some other reason?
You and my dad would have gotten along great. He loved repairing gas engines and had a good working knowledge of electric motors.
What an amazing feat to restore a gem from times past! I knew that gas tank was way past recovery. Just proves how crucial your patience and ingenuity pays huge dividends!!!!! Kudos to you James!! Jimbo from Southeast Texas
This was really satisfied to watch, In my case i learned alot about the rust removal and cleaning inside the fuel tank, and what a awesome old Generator!
I am EXTREMELY happy that you did not skip all the steps, mess and problems with showing how the tank was cleaned. Frustration, thought process and various approaches at cleaning it are important to show - this is how we learn. Thank you.
I’ve never seen a carb like that before. It’s so simple and ingenious at the same time. Nice job on recovering that fuel tank too! You have way more patience than I do. I once saw someone use chains to clean a fuel tank. It still took a lot of repetitive “rinse and repeat” though. Thanks again for sharing your expertise with these machines. It’s very entertaining.
A two stroke generator what a gem!
That was darned impressive! Sir you are a true craftsman! You have resurrected the dead. I stand in awe. I love detailed intricate work. GREAT JOB!
Enjoying every bit of that! Watching a multigenius at work, proves that the effort it takes to save old stuff is worth it!
This was fantastic to watch! My husband and I were amazed at the clean power output!! WOW!
Hi James , well I guess everyone is astonished by the repair on the generator. I am so pleased that you managed to get a hold of it rather than just anybody. It definitely needs to be in a museum of technology. You really appreciate how well things were designed and built way back then.... thanks for the great video. Take care.
I think the connector at about 1:15:00 is correct for modern usage. The neutral is bigger and longer, the hot terminals are shorter and smaller. That means the neutral engages first, and it should be very difficult to get the neutral to go into a hot slot by mistake if things are going wrong inserting the plug, like if one or more of the prongs are broken off
I wouldn’t have given you a plug nickel for that fuel tank. Great job. Interesting machine.
I think you mean a "plugged" nickel, as in, a nickel which has had a hole shot through it. 😆
Anyway, you and me, both. But it came back nicely.
@@melkiorwiseman5234 No I meant plug nickel.
@@williampugh6699@melkiorwiseman5234 He's correct, Melkior. News to me too, but both are acceptable usage.
As an aspiring hobby machinist, working on all kinds of jobs I’m following a welding course atm. Watching your vids always makes my day (and teaches me something)
What an adventure! I was confident you could do it, and you surpassed my expectations! Very nice solutions with the fuel pump and filter
A wistful look back at a time when things were built to last. Great job, James, an a very entertaining video. Cheers from Germany!
My wife always asks why I watch this type of video and I always say "to learn something". Mr. James you are truly a genius!
I think if you are learning something new everyday and you actually want to, you probably don't have dementia!
An old technique for making tight bends in tubing is to seal one end, fill with water, stand vertically in a freezer. The open top end, while freezing, lets the ice expand upwards. Makes it easier to bend without kinking.
Great work getting that old classic running!
I know plumbers used to fill copper pipes with sand, or used a spring thing to put inside pipes when they bend them, but I realised that the diameter of the pipes James was using was too small for that, but it did occur to me that you could fill it with water and freeze.
It Runs! Well done @James Condon. I never thought you would get that running.
What a beautiful waveform and harmonic distortion for a machine of that time. Amazing 📡
Awesome video definitely amazing how well that thing cleaned up almost looks brand new was really amazed with the tank. Great job keep up the good work. Saved another one.
Amazing James,you have saved a piece of engineering history ,they just do not make them like that anymore.
This was one of the best shows I've seen you do outstanding brother.
First time I have watched your videos, I have now subscribed after being fascinated by your patience and work skills, thanks for repairing that old generator. I only wish I had your skills.
Cool old generator! I have a Kohler "Light Plant" from the same era. Has twist lock outlet also. Only 120v though. Only has the commutator, no slip rings. Excellent save on the carb,filter and tank! Had a cat scan too.
I know this a bit older video. I watch a lot of your videos. You are very educational. Interestingly, the fuel pump setup here is exactly the same principal I use on my 50 foot deep water well. No moving parts down at the bottom of the well casing. Just an air line and a 2nd pipe that brings the water up. Works quite good. I originally got the idea from a video from Australia about a man named Brumby
Perseverance pays off, good job James 👍👍👍
Just a wife fascinated great work getting that dinasor running
thank you. That was really impressive. Vintage technology that still works even though you had to put in a lot of work to achieve the final result. Most impressive for me was the engine starting on the first pull and the quality of the electricity coming out of the power head. A good working model for any technology museum and looking at the quality of the build it might still be working 50 years from now.
This is one of my favorites!!! I would love to have that piece of awesome metal, Great Score. They don't make stuff like that anymore.
Really enjoyed watching this and seeing it come to life at the end!
back when things were made to last!. gotta love vintage machinery.
I still don't get how the carburetor works, but I learnt a lot about them. Thank you
The fuel lift system is called a bubble pump or an airlift pump.
One of the many uses are aquariums, sewer treatment systems and deep dirty wells that contain a lot of sand that would clog/destroy regular pumps.
Quite ingenious system actually and I've never seen it in this application. I guess the bowl inside the tank is a more complex part. A simple tank and diaphragm probably offers more flexibility.
My father had one of these. It was scrapped after the carb failed, and he could not source a replacement. My recollection is it was pretty noisy for it’s size. This would be circa late 1970’s. Thanks for the memories 🙂
I've watched your channel quite a few times and your a Smart man but I was surprised early in the video that you hadn't noticed the tank wasn't rusty anywhere on the outside and the carburator was so clean and rust free I'm not sure but I would say the tank is brass with a zinc or aluminum coating to avoid the problem of brass oxidation and that thing had very little running time and sit with a full tank evaporateing and leaving the sludge boiling water would have probably clean the tank quickly but it was a good video it's a nice show piece that could be drained for safety and could mix a guart of fuel and fired up quickly and remember you changed your air fuel while it was under a load witch would result having to go back to where it was preload because there's only one adjustment no Low High no governor one set adjustment for the best of both world's thanks for taking the time to video it I enjoyed it
I really enjoyed watching you get that thing running. 👍
For cleaning the inside of the tank (15:00), I recommend 2-3 dishwasher tablets and loads of warm water, or even boiling.
This definitely defines Simple but great quality, built to last a lifetime plus
I'd be interested in more of your inside information!! Thanks for taking time to make your videos!!
I admire your patience under pressure. If it were me doing this, many may hear some unrepeatable words.😢
That was a truly amazing feat. Very well built little unit. Great point on CO2 and safety. Well done, on your patience. Something else that is rare these days.
I'm one of your fans, but I think this is your best work yet. Thanks so much.
This was a GREAT video. I love to see a really ancient machine working again!
One of the coolest videos in the channel.
...In the carb restoration scenes I was wondering what was the purpose of the second, small-diaemeter tube. Then I remembered the primer. It must be the fuel pick-up for the primer.
Regarding how to bend brass tube without collapsing it, I saw a technique on UA-cam a while back demonstrated by a musical instrument maker building a trombone. He filled the tubes with water and froze them, then bent them around a mandrel while they were still filled with ice.
Freezing could also help you fit the tube into the carburetor body, especially if you also stick the carb body in the oven for ten minutes.
Yeah, this was a worthwhile video.
I think it's worth subscribing.
Can't wait for the next project!
The use of the bent tube going into the straigt tube to lift the fuel is called an eductor some folks call it an injector, it works by forming a vacuum around the opening of the large tube and pushing the fule up the large tube. We use this type of equipment in the water industry to feed chemicals.
It is a great design.
Amazing how quickly that old machine sprang to life once it received a bit of TLC. Even if it farted out a lot of CO, it's still a thing of beauty.
I remember that my uncle used one exactly like that when I was about 8-9 years old, that is 50 years ago. And he was telling me that he had it since he was a teen. used it in the wood for mostly lighting and radio and recharging batteries, heating motor if too cold and other stuff. It was overkill for him at 2000+ watt. But he had it cheap on sale from Eaton or Sears in Canada.
WOW! It's been a long time since I watched someone with so little 'feel' or skill in using tools. An adjustable spanner used backwards, trying to unscrew an obviously very tight screw with a screwdriver blade that is too narrow and holding the unit in the hand, an impact screwdriver held so loosely that it jumped and caused damage. A real 'cowboy' in action.
Love your channel.
Reminds me of "New Yankee Workshop", only for generators.
A very nice project James, nicely filmed too. The paint stripper finally removed most of the varnish, there seemed to be just one spot left on the roof of the tank I thought, probably not going to be any sort of problem any time soon, but if it does cause issues you know how to remove it now. I think that the acetone might have softened it too, but you will have had the paintwork softened if you got acetone there unless you could have prevented any contact between the two. Caustic soda, (Lye) or sodium hydroxide solution to give it its chemical name would be another cheap and potentially effective method for removing varnish or any oily deposits.
The one area where I feel that your videos need improving is by much tighter editing. It felt like we were watching you do the repair in real time, when all we wanted to see was the the job method and the final result. I think that you could cut about half to three quarters of the content, without taking out any vital bits. This would make for a much snappier presentation. I would also like to see more use made of the correct spanner (or wrench) for the fastener, and not the use of adjustable wrenches all the time.
My apologies if this sounds like a complete grizzle, but my observations aside, I did enjoy your project, the subject of the repair was interesting and obviously well engineered back in the day, and it certainly came up a treat when you were done. You also have a great narrators voice and great video filming and audio soundtrack production abilities, I hope that you find my criticisms constructive and I look forward to seeing more of your work.
You are a very clever man my friend I thoroughly enjoy your videos
Love the snowblower, but I pictured something a bit more violent. Lol
I wasn't going to watch this (for 2 hours). But, it just drew me in. That's a great little machine. It looks so complete. And yeah, it must have been in great (dry) storage for years (maybe decades). My guess is that it came out with an estate sale. They don't make them like that anymore.
Awesome repair and restoration!
Your the man James Condon. Much Respect!
James - that rubber grommet that you used to install the filter screen in the tank is not for use in gasoline - you can see how swelled up it was when you removed that filter fitting at the end of the video. I'm sure you are probably aware of this but just wanted people to know - I would probably use a cut off piece of 5/16" fuel line and shave it down carefully so as to fit tightly in that fitting. Great job, and another piece of evidence of how good American-made stuff used to be, at the peak of our country's industrial output.
I've used one of those rubber grommets on a fuel tank like you used on the filter, it didn't last long at all. Maybe need a different material 🤷♂
Very nice piece of history.
Excellent job! It's alive!
Brass will sneak if you heat it cherry red and then dump it immediately in water. I used to do this to brass cartridge cases that had work hardened being reloaded. I would stand the case in a half inch of water, heat up the case neck and then push them over in the water. You do not want to heat the head the case head because it may cause a case failure, since annealing softens the brass. The case neck and shoulder is all you want to anneal
One of your best jobs, James! Awesome.
Pure American craftsmanship at its finest. Can u imagine if they built stuff like that now. Nothing would breakdown fast and we wouldn’t have to rely on other nations for supplies
Have a slightly older version of this Homelite genset and they're around a 250cc 2 stroke which came in a number of forms. The genset aspect of these came in a high cycle output and a household cycle output @ 60 htz. They produce around 2500 watts @ 120vac. Which isn't too bad for the size of the engine. But.... the fact remains that they're a 2 stroke and being so uses about twice as much fuel compared to the equivalent size engine in a 4 stroke. They use a very ingenious carburetor system that has a integrated fuel pump. The one tube allows crankcase pressure to be pushed through a tube forming bubbles into a larger tube, through which it percolates the gas up the larger tube to a bowl. The pump is a constant thing so when it overfills the bowl another tube returns the gas back to the tank. The big nut on the bottom of the tank is a fuel filter assembly. It will probably require some engineering to restore to working condition if everything is still intact that is? I removed the original Wico points and replaced them with "The Atom" electronic conversion, to eliminate any problems with the ignition system. The coils are usually pretty reliable and stable, mine being original and Still starts on the first or second pull. The primer system is another problem area with these things. Being no actual carb butterflies or choke plates they require a primer to light them off. The OEM parts are non existent these days and even Viton Orings eventually will fail. The tanks are brass and are easily cleaned out by acids or ultrasonic cleaning as is their carburetors. They have a shutter valve on the induction side behind the flywheel side plate of the crankcase. This acts as the throttle and governor system of the engine. These are spring loaded and are preset by the factory for the proper rpm setting for 60htz which is roughly 3600 RPMs. The problem is if it's out of adjustment or has been tampered with? In order to get them right again without the proper factory tools to preset them, you'll be taking them apart many times to dial them in. Instead don't touch the spring settings if avoidable. Otherwise mine still runs strong and reliably when needed. I use mine as a remote source to power my Lincoln Mig 120 and it has absolutely ZERO problems with supporting the full power of the welder. It's no longer feasible to use for the household being so inefficient on the fuel consumption. Under a half load situation, expect to run around 2.5 hours on a full tank maybe 3..... but hope this helps you and answers some questions for ya. They're built to last unfortunately not meant for economy though. 😊
Thanks for all the great information.
@@jcondon1 Not a problem man, enjoy your new generator.
James: vert astute of you to choose the 30 w oil. I raced two strokes for many years and used a lot of Bel-ray synthetic at up to 40 to one! However that old girl you have was built with much looser tolerances than modern two strokes so you need something to fill the gaps. Great show
Two small tricks I used in the past. I took an electric Fan from a car and cut one of the wings in half to make it unstable. Then I bolted the tank I wanted to clean on top of the fan. The tank I filled up half with gravel and started the fan for one hour.
The other way I used was I bought a ultrasonic kit from AliExpress and mounted the output unit to the bottom / outside on the tank. I filled the tank with degreaser and ran the ultrasonic for one hour.
Caswell epoxy tank sealer! Miracle product.
On your 240 plug, you should wire ground terminal to the frame ground of the generator. You should also check to see if Generator is neutral grounded. Maybe add a switch to ground the neutral. The segment commentator is for the field winding. They did not have very good diodes when it was designed. So the segment sections switch the ac in to dc magnetic fields. Just like your universal drill motor. Your videos are now epic just like James Camron directing.
Try filling the bend area of small diameter tubing with solder or chamber casting material ( low temperature casting material) YES!!! you do need to anneal hard drawn brass tubing before you try to bend it!!!
Melt the solder out after completing the bend, solder won't let the tubing be crushed.
Larger diameter tube packing with sand and cap in both ends works as does filling with water and freezing to prevent kinking.
Tim
Nice pod cast really enjoyed it thanks 👍
Glad you enjoyed it
Amazing video! I've learned a bunch. Love you're video's
To bend any tubing without kinking, use a piece of tubing bigger than needed.
Pinch one end closed then fill tubing with sand then pinch opposite end closed assuring tubing is tightly filled with sand.
Bend as desired then cut off excess and clean tubing before use.
I’m impressed also my friend amazing thank you again for your expertise
Really enjoyed your rehab of this old gen. I would shine her up and display it in a small collection of vintage garage stuff I have on a shelf in my garage.
BTW, have you ever considered building a vibration table to clean up tanks? I'm thinking of a plank attached to an old orbital sander or one of those vibrating bed motors - just a thought.
Cheers!
You are amazing! Excellent work
A tip for bending pipe like that without the pipe deforming is to fill the pipe with water, freeze it, then the ice keeps the inside of the pipe from deforming while you do the bend. Then melt the ice and it is ready to go.
That fuel pumping design really saved the actual carburator from a gooey fate
Amazing work! -John in Texas
I hate it when parts become unobtanium like my Weedeater Feather Lite-- a great weed eater but I can't get any parts. Cool idea with the snow blower. Heat is your friend when it comes to taking stuff apart. Cheers from eastern TN
Put a piece of wire or something solid in the tube before you bend it, it will help to keep from kinking the line, they actually use a tar like substance they fill brass tubes with then freeze everything then they bend them for musical instruments like horns
All The Best
Fabrizio
The faltering at the end maybe because the pickup is too high compared to the old one. It maybe sucking air. Just a thought. Love the machine.
I was wondering if being a 2 stroke would smooth out the oscilloscope reading! The exhaust cleared up nicely too! See you soon!
I was dealing with the same thing on old pioneer chainsaw. It took forever to clean the tank out.
Cool, I love that old stuff
Outstanding editing
This seems like both an AC and a DC device in one. The excitation part works as a dynamo (dynamator? I am not sure) and the power generator part works as a reversed modern generator.
The resistance bouncing around is because of the voltage being sent from the generator into the multimeter - you want to try to avoid putting a resistance meter across an active voltage source.
Ah, the rich aroma of 60+ year old leaded gas two stroke mix. I picked up a '47 Briggs ZZ a couple of years ago with a half a tank of pretty ripe fuel. It and the oil in the crankcase smell nothing like todays gas and oil, kind of pleasant in a way actually. Takes me back to my teen years in the late 70's when I first began working on small engines. I picked up a DR field trimmer a month ago the seller claimed "ran last year". LOL, the tank was pure varnish. Unlike old leaded gas, this stuff was just nasty. Great job with dogged determination on the fuel tank. I would have just dumped muriatic acid in it. Glad you didn't. Had to laugh when you said the CO detector wasn't happy. I thought to my self, if Greta Thunberg saw this power up, she'd be REAL unhappy. Great job as always and a great save.
a 1973 artic cat snowmobile with a Kawasaki heavy industries 440 my grandpa used motor oil in it and it ran til the late 90's when it needed rings..through the years it went through all of us grandkids and family so i have greater faith the motor oil has better lubrication than 2cycle oil. ive had many things that ran 2 stroke oil and burned up the rings after 4-5 yrs. but other things that were 2 stroke i used motor oil and they still run.
I am impressed ,, well done 👍🏻
Love all your uploads. Bring back the cat @1:22:18 ! 😂
beautiful generator
Enjoy watching these projects but as an engineer retired I find it hard to understand why the article is not given a good wash off before commencing strip down
I have a 1957 (motor date) 4000w generator with electric start, powered by a B&S 10 hp flathead. It runs fine. It uses the generator to spin up the motor.
To make the bend in the small tubing fill the tube with salt seal off the ends with your fingers then make the bend. The tube full of salt will support the tubing wall so it will not collapse when bent. Next pour & blow out the salt and you will have a good bend without collapsed walls.
Short 1-1/4" or shorter sheet rock screws are hard, sharp and low cost works well in place of the nuts/bolts and may do a better job. The generator looks like a persons display that you will find at an old tractor show and when he returned to the earth the family returned his restored generator to the earth.